Games
by Amberturtle
Summary: Sixteen year-old Kara is told she is to go experience how a proper wealthy young lady lives by her parents. One long flight and a bunch of chaos later, she stumbles upon the host club in this new school of hers where she meets some new friends...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

**Hi, I'm Carrie and I'll be your author for today. Please obey the warning lights situated above your seats and follow any instructions given. Your seat belts are located to the left and right sides of your hip- *sacked***

**Okay, sorry about that, I can be weird. This is my first story, so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Magic lamps are a rip-off; I wished I owned OHSHC and I still don't. :/**

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><p>The sunrise in West Texas was always the most awing thing in the day to Kara. The soft mixture of red and yellow hues that lit up the Eastern sky left her breathless each time, even though she had woken up to it for the past sixteen years. The rising sun shining in through her bay window illuminated her evenly tan skin as she stretched, satisfied with the start to her morning. This was something she was going to miss when she moved to Japan. Just below the horizon she could see her horses waking up to the new day and hear them hungrily whinnying for their breakfast.<p>

With a little hop off the window-seat, she light-heartedly skipped to her walk-in closet. One of the many large luxuries in the oversized room. The clothing racks were filled with empty hangers, just another bitter reminder of her leaving. '_What a way to ruin the morning.'_

It was decided by her parents that Kara was to attend the prestigious Ouran Academy in Japan so she could finally be surrounded by equally as wealthy peers for her final years of schooling. To "immerse" her in the proper ways of the well-mannered and rich, as it had been similarly said. _'It would've been nice if they had bothered to inform me earlier than the four days that they had though.'_

Kara's bags were packed and loaded into the family's company car so she could leave immediately after her final day of school today. No tennis practice when school was released or hanging out with her best and only close friend Kiersten. This was it. This was when final good-byes were to be said and buckets of tears were to be shed. _'Maybe I could just run away? I doubt Kiersten's parents would mind me living at their house. I'm there most of the time any way.'_

No, there really was no escaping this. If she was to remain heir to her family's pharmaceutical empire, she would have to follow through. There was no way she could be the third disappointment her family had. Her eldest sibling and sister, an absolute genius, dropped out of college to do her own thing, her brother turned down the company flat to follow his dreams of becoming an explosives engineer, and all that left was her. There were no younger siblings to burden the pressure of having to give up any personal dreams to follow in the footsteps of their parents. Just her.

Kara pulled the one remaining outfit from the barren closet and shut it with a bit more force than was truly necessary. She slipped on the emerald blouse that complimented her honey-colored hair and green eyes so well and donned a pair of dark-wash jeans. There was one pair of shoes that remained unpacked, and unfortunately, they did not match the rest of the ensemble. That just went to show how scatter-brained she could be. _'God, I have got to quit being the poster child for all that is blonde.' _With a sigh, she stuffed her feet into the safety-vest orange Converse with blue laces that were bought by her best friend, who had a matching pair. The shoes were loved, and proof could be seen in the worn side-walls that didn't exactly lay flat against the material any more. A fate that all Converse that were actually worn more than once a month seemed to encounter.

Now fully dressed, she ran a brush through her slightly wavy, shoulder length mop of hair and studied the room one last time. Her once poster plastered walls were now a bare white, and the only furniture that remained was a vanity dresser and that lavish queen-sized bed. All the other stuff had been moved to the closet vacation house which _was_ lacking in nicer furniture. The sun had risen a little more, letting more light into the void space and it washed it out even more. Hair brushed, and now fashioned into a loose side braid she deemed herself presentable, minus the footgear, and made her way down the grand staircase down the hall from her bedroom. _'I will not miss these stairs,' _she thought and she rubbed her sore knee. Gymnastics even at age six, was never her smartest move considering her family history of weak joints.

"Good morning Young Missus," her long-time housemaid Maria said cheerfully. This was the woman who had raised her and her siblings since birth. She was family in the eyes of everyone in the house-hold.

"Morning Mary! Beautiful sunrise, as always this morning. Even if there's nothing else you like, it's one thing you gotta love about Texas," Kara exclaimed with her passionate smile. Maria could be seen rolling her tired eyes playfully by all who could have observed except for Kara. The silly girl loved the morning way more than could possibly be healthy.

Kara passed through the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar to satiate her hunger till lunch time at school. The damned thing had raisins. That's five minutes of the wonderful morning to be wasted picking the blasted things out. After grimacing at the breakfast bar one more time she turned on her heel towards the counter where a freshly chilled bottle of orange juice had been laid out for her. _'Ah, at least this will help in making the impending sad day to come a little better.' _She juggled the cold beverage between her hands and finally set off through the arched doorway of the kitchen to the grand entrance-way of the home, mansion, rather. The home stuck out oddly against the empty desert terrain that surrounded the beautiful manor.

The time on her phone read 7:00 a.m. She would have just enough time to say a few goodbyes before the first bell rang by the time she got there. It was a half-hour drive from the estate situated on a ranch to the small town in which her school resided. The car that would take her to school sat in the recently swept driveway and her chauffer held the back door open for her for climb in. Her school bag had already been pre-packed and was in the back seat waiting for her.

With one last look, she took in everything. The adobe colored bricks that made up the walls of her home, the cacti that flowered beautifully in place of where rose bushes might have been if any other person was living here. This Western stuff was just her mom's style. It certainly was in her blood, being the result of several generations of cowboys and Comanche heritage. To think that her mother had not only started, but built up the company to the empire it had become in just a short twenty-seven years was amazing considering the history of the family. She and her brother were the first to break away from the ranching ways and become a pharmacist and a lawyer.

Kara stopped day-dreaming and clambered into the car, hitting her shin on the running board. She certainly wasn't very graceful, despite the etiquette classes her mother insisted she go through. This was the last time she'd see this place for a while because she planned on staying in Japan throughout the holidays to try and capture some of the culture there. _'What's the point in going if I'm not going to relish the experience completely?'_

Kara stared at the third floor window where she assumed her parents still slumbered. She loved them, but it would have been nice if they had at least come to say good bye.

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><p>The scrub pastures flew by the windows as the car sped towards the small town. The abandoned buildings on the outskirts of town were coming into view and the vehicle could be felt slowing down to legal in-town limits. It was almost time.<p>

The horrendous 70's architecture of the school was soon in sight as the car rolled up to the front. Students in clothing varying from cute spring style dresses to dark garb were scattered throughout the campus front. That was one thing she would miss about this place. No uniform. Sure, there was a pretty strict dress code; no "distracting hair," ripped jeans, cleavage. _'I'm actually pretty thankful for the last one considering most of the sluts in this place let their boobs hang out enough outside of school as it is.'_ This new school though, Ouran, apparently had these God-awful yellow poofy things that looked like a rip off of Belle's dress from Beauty and the Beast.

Kara gulped as she placed a firm grip on the door handle. She personally asked her chauffer to not open the door for her in places like this so as not to not draw too much attention. The door shuddered as it caught on the seat belt and after some rearranging of the safety device, finally opened. One jean covered leg stepped out and the other followed in suit. She stood up the rest of the way, making careful note as to not hit her head on what her driving instructor from the previous year referred to as the 'oh shit handle,' and stretched from the long ride as she closed the door to the car with her foot. Before the driver had a chance to pull away, she checked her pocket for her phone and realized it was still sitting in the cup holder in the back seat. With a tap on the window, the door was unlocked and she opened it once more to retrieve her cell with a giggle at the driver who was simply shaking his head.

"Got everything this time ma'am?"

"Let's hope so!" Kara jokingly said as she accepted the fact that she was hopelessly blonde. The driver pulled away from the curb and kind of saluted with two fingers; a gesture that Kara returned.

"Kara!"

Kara heard her name from somewhere, but couldn't deduce where.

"Dammit Kara, auditorium!"

Kara turned in the direction of the auditorium entrance where her best friend Kiersten could be found hanging out with the rest of her theater buddies. Good friends, but no-where as close to her as Kara was. Kiersten trotted up to Kara while trying to hold back tears. Kara started to speak but was hopelessly interrupted by a wave of Kiersten's sobs. Kiersten's 5'8" form enveloped Kara's mere 5'5" in a death-grip hug.

Maybe she wouldn't make it to Japan after all.

"You can't go!" Kiersten insisted for the thousandth time since she was told of Kara's leaving, her brunette hair hanging in her face I a desperate attempt to cover tear-stained eyes.

"You know I don't want to, but I don't have a choice. My stupid parents claim this is what's "right" for a young lady to do."

"Young lady my ass. You swear more than a sailor hopped up on rum and cocaine and if I ever saw you curtsey, Hell I'd probably laugh myself into oblivion."

"Har har, so hilarious," Kara shot Kiersten a look, "I can assure I don't want to go any more than you want me to. But again, still not my option."

Kiersten sighed, still not content with the answer. "You know, if you're gone I can finally move up to number two in class ranking. That would also mean that bitch Megan would be number one though. Ugh. How about this: I'll pay somebody to kidnap you at lunch today, Nick would probably do it. No guarantee he'd give you back though, so scratch that."

Kara palm-faced. Nick had been probably more devastated than Kiersten when he found out she was leaving, probably just because he never got the chance to ask her out or try to get in her pants.

"Yep, no unnecessary rape. So either way, I'll find _someone_ to kidnap you, and then I'll just hide you in my room and you can just eat the mac n' cheese I leave under my bed."

"You're positively disgusting, but I love you anyway," Kara said with a grin as she mockingly pat Kiersten on the head.

The two set off to go say goodbye to some special teachers, and to let the office ladies know that this was her last day. First was Mrs. Ivy, the Latin teacher who would never know the meaning of too much work and was definitely one of her most beloved teachers.

"Mrs. Ivy," Kara greeted politely as she walked into the small classroom. The elderly woman stood up from her desk and enveloped Kara in a hug, not saying anything yet. The woman pulled back and put her hands on the girl's slender shoulders, "I'll miss you. You were one of the four students in this class that kept me from going bonkers." Kara laughed lightly at the choice of word and hugged her mentor once more, Well, I'll see you in class today, but I've got a few more people to say farewell to."

"Good luck! And don't you dare go and forget all the Latin you've learned!" Mrs. Ivy said with a wag of her finger.

"Don't worry, I'd hate to have you haunt me about it later in life," the blonde girl said with a wink. And off Kara was drug by Kiersten who had been patiently standing in the doorframe.

After three more tearful goodbyes, the girls made their way to their separate first periods; the only class time the two didn't share.

The two had grown so close probably because they were different. Sure, they each had the same kooky and twisted personalities, but also there was this race thing. In the small town of only nine-thousand, most of the population was made up of dark skin and brown or black hair. Neither of them had anything against other races, but both being two of just seven white kids in the entire school kind of brought them together. Both had amazing friends that were both white and Hispanic, but each other were really the only best friend they had. Kara would trust her life with Kiersten, depending on what had to be done to save her that is… If Kiersten had to draw something, then Kara would be screwed.

As Kara walked across the long parking lot to her first period, a girl in a bright orange dress that complimented her dark skin well stopped Kara.

"So it's true, you're really moving?" the girl asked sincerely, but Kara knew better. This was Megan, who probably would have had Kara hit-off if she could afford it if it meant becoming valedictorian in the future. The girl was a genius and number two in the sophomore class, no surprise considering how hard she worked on her grades, but regardless, she had a personal vendetta against anyone who managed to get a higher grade than her in anything and quite frankly, she only managed to stay afloat in advanced placement English due to some serious ass-kissing and a good stroke of luck.

"Yeah, it's true. Just can't wait for me to be gone, eh? Don't worry, Kiersten will wipe the floor with you as soon as I'm gone. She already promised me to do so," Kara said, "and she's never broken a promise to me to this day."

Megan scoffed, "We'll see then, Rich Brat."

Being picked on for the wealth she tried to hide was something that always kind of bothered her. Not too deeply, but it hit a nerve somewhere not too far under the skin.

Most people at the small school of just 400 students either didn't know, or didn't care.

Kara really hated the thought of leaving Kiersten to face such an awful prat such as Megan alone, but good ol' Mummy and Daddy insisted she leave to Ouran before the school year in Texas was over.

The rest of the school day passed slowly as she dread the thought of that car coming that would take her away to the airport in a close-ish city.

Fury still built up in her stomach from time to time throughout the school hours, especially when it came time for tennis seven class periods later and she had to sit out. This sport was her passion, and now she'd never get to work at making number one varsity and showing up all the people who would say, "Rich kids can't play sports, they might scuff their thousand dollar shoes!' or things along those lines.

'_Maybe going to this rich school won't be so bad after all,' _Kara tried to convince herself, but failed.

The final bell for the day rang and Kara, along with the other athletes who were "not feeling well enough to work out" stood and started back towards the school. Some would be returning home to be greeted by their parents, others would be going out with friends. Neither were being done by Kara. She walked slowly across the track circling the football field that separated the school and the tennis courts as she waited for Kiersten to be released from softball.

Kara was suddenly torn from her place on the rubber track and was sliding across the astro-turf; sure to leave a nasty burn. Kiersten was on top of her in another one of her famous death-holds as Kara choked for air.

"So," Kara managed to squeak out from under Kiersten, "did you find a candidate to kidnap me or are you just gonna do the deed yourself?"Kiersten chuckled solemnly, she really couldn't just let her best friend fly off to some foreign country without a fight, could she?

"I'm gonna miss you," Kirsten choked out after a few moments of dreadful, tear-filled silence.

"Yeah."

"And don't you go off forgetting me."

"Of course."

"And remember, if you ever come to visit I damn-well better be the first person to know. Got it?" Kiersten said with a small smile poised on her face.

"Absolutely," Kara said, a glistening tear rolling down her cheek. "I love you, and you will always be my best friend. And I'll call you every night so you better pick up your damn phone for once!"

A sharp car horn interrupted the blissfully-bitter moment. The chauffer had apparently grown tired of waiting and started circling the school in search of Kara.

"Go on, you're gonna be late for your flight," Kiersten said with a final hug and then a light shove in the direction of the car.

Kara kept going towards the car, not looking back so nobody would have to see the ugly tears running down her face.

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><p>It was an hour and a half drive to the airport where her flight would depart. The heat waves could be seen coming off the runway, distorting the view of the natural plant-life that grew along the edges of the tar. Planes of all sizes, shapes and colors were taking off and rolling in in perfect synchronization; quite a sight for any plane nut that may have been around.<p>

The car eased into a spot not too far from the front doors of the airport where two armed guards stood alert, protecting the airport from possible threat. As Kara helped herself out of the car, she grabber small carry-on items: Her backpack from school that day which contained the sketchbook that would help her make it through the near twelve-hour flight. She wasn't really looking forward to jetlag. Kara took her one suitcase of clothes from the driver who had removed it from the trunk for her, and told him goodbye with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, which in turn made the old man blush. The rest of her clothing and belongings had been mailed to her uncle's vacation home in Tokyo where she would be residing.

With some self-reassurance, her right foot began towards the airport doors with her other foot following in suit.

'_This is gonna be a loooooong flight.'_

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><p><strong>AN:**

**Okay, I'm having to end it here because I'm being kicked off the computer. Boo. This story doesn't have a name yet, but it'll get one eventually. Maybe. **

**Okay, I'd like to say that this is my first story, ever! Well, fan fiction at least. I can try to guarantee at least one or two chapters a month because I'm having computer troubles with my personal laptop and I only got this typed up at my grandmother's house while I stay with her. Actually, I did this to kill a few hours of boredom. Thanks for reading, if there's anyone who actually read it that is, and please review! I'd love to hear any random ideas you have for the title even though there's not much of a plot laid out yet. xD**

**Also, any suggestions for the story would be awesome because honestly, I'm typing as I go. **

**Well, toodaloo! I'll try to get at least one more up by the end of this week before I go back home and am internet-less. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **

**Hey everybody! I decided to try and throw another chapter up before I went to camp at the end of the week. You'll actually get to see a small glimpse the Host Club in this chapter, so, Hoozah! :D **

**Without further adieu, here's chapter two!**

**Okay, yeah, I lied. Gotta put that disclaimer thing somewhere…**

**Disclaimer: Yep, I own OHSHC, I actually bought it on eBay last night. No of course not you sillies! I only own Kara. :D **

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><p>The long flight had landed about three hours ago, and at this moment Kara was rearranging her personal things in her new room at her uncle's vacation home in Japan. It was no mansion or anything more than just a modest home really; four bed rooms, three bathrooms, and two sitting rooms, each on a different half of the house. The room Kara was staying in had a bay window, just like her old one, that overlooked beautiful park where people could be seen walking dogs and jogging and then the occasional couple holding hands.<p>

Japan was proving to be more beautiful than Kara could ever had imagined as she lazily watched the leafy trees that swayed in a gentle breeze. At the center of the park which Kara planned on spending a good deal of her time, was a small pond with happy ducks sunning themselves around the banks wile trying to avoid the splashes of playing children.

Now that some of the larger things were put up, there was the bed to try and tackle. Kara looked at it with a grimace.

She would have to grow accustomed to the fact that she would no longer have house-maids to help her make her bed or prepare her meals. The only other resident in the house was an older woman who was to make sure that Kara was attending school and avoiding trouble, you know, or robbing any banks in her spare time. At least she, or someone, had put all the clothing that preceded Kara's arrival on the hangers in the small closet and dressers.

'_This is going to take some getting used to…'_

The bed was only a standard size, much smaller than what Kara had ever slept on, if you didn't count Kiersten's couch while watching movies that is. She spread the peach colored comforter that had been given to her over the surface of the recently dressed mattress and smoothed out the creases till it was smooth as the surface of a still lake.

Bed made and everything else put up, Kara decided to add her personal touches to the room.

A colorful array of scarves were draped over the corner of the vanity mirror and colored the light that bounced off of the mirror in several shades of bright hues. The floral decorated jewelry box that was given to her by her great grandmother sat in the corner of the vanity dresser's smooth marble surface. The pinks on the box complimented the light colored wood of the bedroom suite and made the room a little brighter. For something only a few inches in length and height, it sure had a good habit of brightening a place.

Kara pulled out the tub of poster putty she had made special note of to pack and began to put up her menagerie of wall décor. Pictures of various people and artworks began to overlap each other as the wall deemed 'poster perfect' began to fill. She stood back and looked at the now covered surface with a content smirk.

There was a nail situated perfectly above the head board of the bed where she hung her cork-board filled with pictures of her and Kiersten, as well as other close friends, family and pets. Looking at the collage of memories started to bring stinging tears to the corners of her eyes which Kara quickly wiped away and kept unpacking.

Soon all the walls had at least one thing on them and the surfaces of the room were no longer bare. If there was one thing Kara hated, it was empty walls.

The nightstand to the right of the bed held a picture of her family on the last vacation they had together as an actual family. They had gone camping and Kara in the middle of the cluster of loved ones; a huge smile plastered on everyone's faces and stars twinkling in their eyes. The entire scene was framed perfectly in a simple silver rectangle with small daisy embellishments in the opposing corners.

If only things could be like that again, It was before the company had gotten as huge as it had, and everyone was still humble. Now her mother believed in this whole 'prim and proper' load of crap. She was still Mom, but some of her just wasn't the same.. The two of them never watched old movies together like they used to, and her mother never seemed to set foot near the horses that she used to love so dearly. Kara and the stable boy were the only ones who ever seemed to pay them any attention anymore, and now even she wasn't going to be there. Same for all the other family animals. Nobody would play with the dogs or let the cats cuddle with them while they worked.

Her dad was never home any more either. He would stay till the late hours of the night before he would come home from the small newspaper he ran with his good friend and business partner. Kara didn't ever want to believe it, but it seemed like the family was ripped apart when they got wealthy. Her brother had moved to Alaska to operate a gold mine and her sister had dropped out of school once again and was now working front desk at a hotel in Mississippi. Kara worried about her sister. She had suffered from depression all her life and was finally on good medication, but still their mother paid no attention to her after she had renounced her as heir.

Kara absent-mindedly fiddled with the beautifully detailed copper owl on her necklace that sat just above her breast. It was something she always wore. It really had no significant meaning to her, other than she liked how beautiful the tiny horned owl was. Each of his little feathers had texture on them, making him look almost fluffy.

Kara hoped she could disguise it under the monstrous uniform since the school did not allow jewelry of any sort.

'_Ugh, speaking of that uniform…'_

Kara finally dared look at the thing. It hung from the hook on the back of the door in a protective plastic covering. The yellow tint could be seen through the opaque plastic and she shuddered. Did it really have to be so full in the bottom? It was going to be ridiculously hot wearing the thing.

'_This school better have invested some of their fortune into a decent air conditioning system.' _Japan could be hot from what she'd heard. Nothing like West Texas, but she definitely wasn't wearing things like this back home.

The digital clock on the table displayed 6:30 p.m. in it's obnoxious green color like the ones in the movies. '_Time for dinner, I guess.'_

Kara made her way through the house to the small kitchen. The walls were covered in a country style wallpaper that was almost the same color of the dress. Tacky green and red roosters were the shape of the cook-ware holders. There was even this awful stir-spoon holder by the stove where you put the utensil in holes where the tail should have been. The roosters all had beady black eyes that were a little unnerving to have staring at you from all directions.

'_Really, Uncle David? Couldn't you have at least picked something a little better to decorate with?'_

There was a red and white checkered cook book sitting on the counter, presumably for her. At least they didn't plan on letting her starve completely.

'_But wait… I have no idea how to cook.' _

Kara gulped as she clearly remembered the words of the old woman, "_And don't even think of disturbing me unless it's a dire emergency or someone's dying or something or other."_

Kara turned in the direction of the outbuilding to the left of the house where the old bat was staying.

Dare she?

Desperate, Kara scoured the fridge and freezer for something that could be heated in the microwave.

No luck.

'_Maybe if I just went out for something… I'm sure they have_ _fast food in Japan, why wouldn't they?' _Kara thought nervously, twiddling her thumbs.

She decided to avoid the dinner confrontation with the woman for as long as possible. Kara ran back to her room for a pair of shoes suitable for walking, a certain pair of orange Converse that were still the only ones left out would do just fine.

On her way out the door, she grabbed her satchel off of the coat hangar and picked up the keys to the house, then off she went. She went ahead and brought her sketch pad and a pencil with her in case she decided to stop by the park before returning home.

She had about thirty U.S. dollars in her wallet, hopefully that could buy her something filling.

There was one thing about coming to Japan that Kara didn't understand. Her parents had cut her off from their budget. She was given a little money to sustain herself and maybe have a _little_ luxury, but there was certainly no spending room for any extravagant resorts, not that she was really into those things, but she did kind of want to buy a kimono so she could fit in if she went to any festivals. Well, fit it as well as her hair would let her.

Kara's thoughts roamed freely as she walked down the sidewalk, taking the sights and sounds while looking for a place to eat. She had been walking for about twenty minutes now when she spotted a small shop that was selling what looked like noodles of some sort. A wonderful smell wafted from it's premises and lured the blonde in. Three hefty men in construction looking attire sat on stools, that looked like they were straining under their weight, at a counter where steaming bowls of food were being presented to them by young woman with a pleasant smile. In behind on the far wall, a young man around the age of twenty vigorously stirred noodles in a pot. Sweat was building on his forehead as he worked passionately on the food.

Kara, intrigued by the delightful smell and vibrant color of the walls and décor in the little shop, sat down at a stool herself on the other end of the counter. An older woman dressed in traditional Japanese attire came out of the back of the shop to greet her.

"Can I help you, young lady?" the woman asked politely. Luckily, she spoke English and Kara didn't have to try out her new language skills that were still rather weak just yet.

"Um, I honestly have no idea what's good Japanese food-wise, so just surprise me if you will. Ah, but please nothing too expensive. I don't have much."

"Alright then, I'll fix you up something good then," she replied with a smile. "Ayumu! Start an order of shoyu ramen for me."

"Yes Chiharu-Sama." The young man nodded and started to scoop the freshly cooked noodles out of the pot.

He handed the order off to Chiharu and she proceeded to add this and that to it and topped it off with a few ingredients before serving it to Kara.

Kara picked up the pair of chopsticks she had been given. _'Oh boy…'_ she thought uneasily.

And with that she snapped them apart and dug in to the magical smelling dish. The exquisite flavor was bold, but not overwhelming and the sides that were put on top were to die for as well. This is what she had hoped of encountering when she came to Japan; a real insight to the country, not just this school she was going to be attending.

After finishing her meal and paying the woman, she thanked her and left. It had gotten close to being dark so Kara had no choice but to skip out on the park. Getting kidnapped on the first day didn't sound like much fun, if you asked anyone.

She made her way back to the house after taking the occasional wrong turn sometimes and getting lost. Now she stood at the front door, wishing she had thought of turning the front porch light on so the search for her key would be made a bit easier. She could see the old woman's silhouette, Chikako or whatever her name was, sitting at her table drinking tea, but she dare not go ask to use her copy of the key. She'd rather sleep outside than piss that woman off on the first day. That lady had a scowl that could melt the faces of newborn puppies, and do Lord-knows-what to Kara's face, or soul for that matter.

There was a small beam of light peeking out from one of the windows cutrains of the outbuilding.

'_It's not much, but it may be enough to at least find my stupid key.'_ Kara crept up to the window as silently as she could and each twig that crunched underneath her feet made her breath hitch in her throat. At long last, she had made it to under the window-sill and dumped the contents of her bag out it the light. Out fell her keys with a small jingle and it was all she could do to keep herself from punching the air in triumph.

Kara scooped her belongings back into the satchel and cursed silently as she could feel dirt and a few pieces of debris fall into the bag as well.

She opened the door and hung her bag and keys up on the black coat-rack where they had previously been. There was an eerie silence in the house, and the forever-staring roosters that she knew were only a room away didn't help much with the feeling. Kara turned on the fans in the both of the sitting rooms to try and add some noise. Normally, she would have one of the cats curled up with her to keep her company on weird nights like this, but this time, she was all alone.

After assuring herself that no murderer had broken into the house while she was away and calming herself with a handful of raspberries topped with a dollop of whipped cream, she began to get ready for bed. She put on her favorite pair of yellow and red plaid flannel pajama bottoms and a simple cream tank top that had a lavender bow design printed on the left shoulder that looped down and around to the back. She almost hated to mess up the bed knowing that she would have to make it herself the next day.

Tomorrow was going to be her first day of school at Ouran and she had to try and get some rest and the more she pondered pointless topics, the more tired she grew and eventually drifted over to the bed where she fell into slumber, without ever undoing the bed spread.

* * *

><p>"Blee dal dee! Blee dal dee!" The alarm clock sounded in its shrill voice.<p>

The sudden noise startled Kara to un upright position. Previously she had been laying horizontally on the bed, her comforter and sheets still tucked in and just slightly wrinkled.

It was six in the morning, thirty minutes earlier than she preferred, but there were school things to attend to. Kara forced herself to get out of the bed with a tired groan and pops coming from her various joints. Even jetlag can ruin a morning person.

"Why do I have to go the school the day after I get here?" Kara groaned.

The dress stared at her from across the room with its yellow-ness taking up the majority of the door it hung from. All Kara could do was glare back at the thing, as if she could somehow hurt its nonexistent feelings.

"Hrngh," was all she could muster out as she bent over to gather her shower necessities from her bag. In the bathroom there was a fresh towel on the towel-rack, probably left for her by the kind person who had unpacked her clothes. Kara cranked up the hot water till steam started to fog the mirror and climbed in to the shower bathe herself.

When she climbed out of the tub, she wrapped the mahogany colored towel with her uncle's monogram in the corner around her soaking form. Her flaxen hair was plastered to her face and neck and was becoming obscenely wavy. Kara threw on the pair of shorts and t-shirt she had pulled out for after her shower and started on taming her hair down. First she applied a generous amount of heat protection spray and got to work with the hairdryer. Between the blowing heat and the running the brush through it, the waves in her hair started to calm down and eventually began to frame her face nicely.

Kara pulled it up into a side ponytail and put on the black headband she wore almost every other day. This time though, she applied a simple yellow bow strung on a bobby-pin to the headband, to match the atrocious uniform.

Her hair was for the most part, nice looking, so she did what was no longer avoidable and went to put on the dress. The multiple layers of silky fabric where getting hung together in places and made smoothing the thing out impossible.

After fighting with it for another few good minutes, Kara finally got it all straightened out. The poofy shoulders were awkward, but then again, so was the entire thing. She slipped on the dressy flats that came with the uniform- perfect for her feet size- and made her way through the house, stopping in the kitchen to watch her first sun rise in Japan though the small window above the sink. It was nothing compared to her beloved Texas sunrise, but still beautiful.

To Kara's relief, there was a case of chilled orange juice inside the fridge just begging to be drunk. How on earth could she turn them down? She began to greedily reach for one, already imagining the smooth taste running over her taste buds.

'_Now all I need is-' _

"Kara!" A screeching voice cut off her thoughts.

"Yes Chikako-San?" Kara said as politely as she could, but there was an undertone of sarcasm. The woman reeked of perfume this morning. Maybe, for the sake of the people of Japan, it would fade by the time school was out and she would never put the putrid stuff on again.

"The car to take you to school has been waiting for _ten_ minutes now. "

"Sorry, I wasn't aware I was being waited on." Kara bowed as respectfully as her horrible thoughts would let her before turning and scowling. At the front door, she looped her bag over her shoulder and made sure the keys were in an easy to access spot. The car that sat outside the house was a gleaming black with silver embellishments. The back windows were tinted almost black and on the side was a strange insignia that she did not recognize. In gold, The letter 'O' was beautifully done in cursive and an elaborate oval frame decorated the letter further. The chauffer stepped our of the driver's side of the car and went around the back to open the door for Kara. She walked quickly up to it, trying not to make the man wait any longer than he had already. Kara gingerly stepped in to the beautifully upholstered interior. The seats were a soft black leather that felt amazing to the touch. And the rest of the inner shell was an ash grey with red and gold details here and there. This was way more elegant than the vehicle she normally rode in, and that one wasn't cheap. She didn't dare try to imagine the figure it cost to buy this.

The ride to the school was surprisingly short; she could've walked it if it weren't for the dress. It was actually not too many blocks further past the ramen shop she had dined at the night before.

The school though, Ouran, was amazing. The campus was huge and the architecture was gorgeous. The car pulled up to the drive of the school, which was cobblestone and beautiful in itself. There was a huge clock-tower that boldly stuck out against the sky and white doves flocked around a long rectangular pond with a fountain-statue at its head that, surprisingly, fed the pond through the spout in its '_tastefully_-placed' fig leaf.

'_Didn't see that coming from a school like this,' _Kara thought with an immature smirk.

On each side of the drive were elaborate buildings which she presumed were classrooms and other activity rooms. Kara hoped she could join a good art club to fill the time that she would have spent playing tennis back home. She needed _something_ to do after school at least. Anything other than go home to that mean old bat until she absolutely had to.

Kara noticed that the car she was in was gaining stares. At first she thought they were looking at her funny until she remembered how dark the windows were tinted and there was no way they could possibly see her. The looks were starting to make her a little self-conscious though.

'_Maybe there's a weird dent in it or something that was shaped like a cat or something.'_

When the car was finally at the front of the drop-off line, the chauffer stepped out to open the door but was caught off guard when Kara opened it herself and got out. Now people were really staring and she blushed a little bit and apologized to the driver.

So, this was it. Ouran Academy; school for the rich.

Even if it wasn't evident on her exterior, Kara was beyond nervous. Other girls in the same tacky dress as herself were whispering among their groups, some even pointed in her direction. Hopefully this wasn't how the entire day was going to play out.

Kara walked in through the main doors to the school, which were huge and beautifully carved wood. Split between the two halves of the door was the insignia of the school; a shield displaying the letters 'O' and 'R.'

Everything about this school so far was gorgeous.

Kara had to go to the front office to get her schedule and try to make a mental map of the buildings before school started. Luckily, the office was easy enough to find. The secretary was kind, a woman in probably her mid-thirties with jet-black short curly hair. She handed Kara her schedule and even was patient enough to be willing to change it if it wasn't satisfactory.

A door, almost as decorated as the main door in front, began to open. On it was a gold plaque that read 'Chairman.' As the door opened further, the top of a head peeked out, revealing just a pair of curious eyes and what lay above. Then, with no warning at all, the door swung open at lightning speed and a middle-aged man who Kara presumed was the Chairman himself was suddenly at her side, with a delicate red rose in hand. He offered the flower to her and she sheepishly took it, feeling there was no turning this man down.

"Ah, you must be the new transfer student, Miss Kara Thorne-Hime"

'_Wait, didn't -hime mean princes-'_

She was suddenly jerked from her thoughts as the Chairman grasped her free hand.

"Ah, you must be so tired from you journey from America. I do hope that you enjoy my school to the fullest by joining an after school club."

"Well, actually I was thinking about-" Kara began, but was then interrupted once again.

"Ah! Haruhi-San!" the chairman waved a boy in the hall down. The boy looked panicked, like he had committed some heinous crime like taking a cookie before dinner and then was just caught.

"Chairman-sama-" the boy started.

"Uncle."

'_Did the Chairman always interrupt people?'_ Kara was beginning to get slightly irked.

"Right. Uncle. Is there something that you need?" The boy was finally able to finish.

"Yes, Haruhi, could you please escort Miss Kara-Hime here around the school. Or if you want to go to class, just go find my son and let him do so. They're in the same class so that would probably be better anyway."

"Yes Chairma- erm, Uncle."

The Chairman looked completely accomplished at being recognized the way he wanted and with a jubilant punch of the air, he retreated back into his office.

'_What and odd man.'_

"Well then Thorne-san, if you don't mind, I'll just show you around until we come across Tamaki, the Chairman's son. I'm here on scholarship so I really have to be in class as much as possible."

"Perfectly understandable. Say, is the Chairman's son anything like he is?" Kara wondered, slightly worried about the idea of being the in the same building, let alone class as the guy if he was.

"In all honesty, I think he's worse. Oh and sorry I didn't get to properly introduce myself. I'm Haruhi Fujioka, first-year scholarship student," the boy bowed politely.

"Nice to meet you Haruhi, oh wait, it's last names here. Fujioka-san. Sorry I'm still getting used to the language," Kara said, awkwardly twiddling her thumbs after he lingual screw-up. "I'm Kara Thorne, second-year American transfer student." Kara smiled as she and Haruhi continued down the hall as Haruhi pointed out various rooms.

Students were still filtering in and out of the halls when suddenly;

"Haruhi! Who is this beautiful princess you have in your company?" A rather tall blonde student slid up to Haruhi's side and draped an arm around his shoulder. Haruhi was visually annoyed at the presence of the guy.

'_He kind of acts like the Chairman. Oh God, please tell me this isn't him.'_

Kara mentally palm-faced at the overactive student.

"Tamaki-senpai, please get your arm off of me," Haruhi hissed, only just majorly pissed.

'_Great, this is who I'm stuck with.'_

The dark waves emitted by Haruhi's small form scared the Chairman's son away to some unknown corner where muffled sobs could be heard.

"Great, now who will show you around?" Haruhi groaned.

"I'd be glad to, if Miss Thorne doesn't mind."

"Oh, Kyoya-senpai. That would be great!" Haruhi seemed pleased with the new plan until a thought seemed to cross his mind. His face twisted. "This favor won't cost me anything, will it?"

"I don't see why it would Haruhi," the boy named Kyoya stated simply, a glimmer shining off of his glasses.

Haruhi started to say something before Kyoya cut her off, "Unless of course, you would like more added to your debt, which can be arranged."

Even the threat was lightheartedly said with a smile.

'_Note to self: don't go pissing this guy off.'_

"Now Miss Thorne, shall we go?" Kyoya offered a hand in Kara's direction, which she accepted.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Hey readers, which there are surprisingly a few. :D**

**I decided to try and get at least one more chapter up for the night.**

**Edit: Fixed the majority of the typos and fixed up some of the speech. It should be a little more human now. **

**I have a perfectly legit reason for trying to stay up as well, because then maybe I could play the headache role from lack of sleep so I could skip out on lunch with my grandma's old lady friends. I don't think it's gonna work though, so now I'll just be bored AND tired. Woo~ **

***waves little pennant that reads "Sarcasm"***

**Either way, before I leave my grandmother's, I'll try to fit in at least one more chapter, so let's hope so!:) **

**Thanks for reading and please leave a review! **


	3. Chapter 3

Kara walked down the long and extravagantly decorated hall in Kyoya's company. Not a word was being said.

"So, Miss Thorne," Kyoya started, breaking the silence, "how are you favoring Japan?"

Kara was caught off-guard by the sudden question, but managed to answer before too awkward of a silence had been created. "Ah, it's been marvelous! Just outside my window is a lovely little park. It even has a pond! They don't really have little ponds like that around where I used to live- it was always too hot," Kara rambled on, adding more detail than she really felt necessary.

"Oh? That sounds quite lovely," Kyoya said as he smiled down on her. "So, did you enjoy the car that came to pick you up this morning?"

Then it clicked with Kara. The 'O' on the side had to stand for Ootori. She mentally punched herself for not figuring it out sooner. "That was yours? Yes, it was beautiful and the seats were so soft. I hate to imagine how much it had to of cost."

"Oh, nothing too much. So Miss Thorne, are you planning on participating in any after school activities?"

They stopped walking down the now empty halls that had cleared out when the first bell had rung.

"Well, I was thinking of possibly joining an art club if there was one."

"You're an artist then? May I ask if you're any good?" He inquired with a smirk.

"_Well, it's not like he'd say it was bad, right? I mean c'mon, who does that?'_

"Well, instead of telling you, how about I show you?" Kara pulled her sketch book out of her bag and flipped to her newest work. Her sketch book was like her diary, but instead of words, images skillfully laid out on the pages portrayed her feelings.

Kyoya studied the pencil and oil pastel strokes that formed the shape of a dancer bathed in a fiery array of red and orange drapes that formed over her curvy silhouette. Kara had worked on it throughout a good majority of the flight to Japan. Kyoya looked at it, with no apparent emotion on his face. It was then that Kara felt a presence behind them. Or, two, actually…

A pair of fiery haired twin boys stood a few feet behind them, checking out what was on the page of the sketch book over Kara and Kyoya's shoulders.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, is there any reason why you're not in class?" Kyoya questioned the pair.

"Well, quite honestly, _we're bored,_" they said in unison.

'_What a reason,' _Kara thought as she rolled her eyes.

"Plus-," one began. "-We saw you out here-," The other added.

"_With a girl,_" they again said together.

The two twins finally acknowledged Kara being there and went and draped their arms around her shoulders.

"So Kyoya, who is this anyway?" The one on her right asked. "Yeah, she has weird hair," the other stated while twirling a lock of her blonde mane.

"If you two are going to talk about me, could you at least act like I'm here?" Kara spat as she shrugged the Twins' arms off of her. "And," She turned to the one on her left and said, "What's a red-head to talk saying that blonde hair is weird?"

Hikaru and Kaoru raised their brows at her, impressed at her outbreak.

"Twins, this is Kara Thorne, a transfer student from America. Miss Thorne, these two are the _lovely_ Hitachiin twins, Hikaru," Kyoya gestured to one, "and Kaoru," he finished, pointing to the other.

"_Nice ta' meetcha," _the Twins said in that creepy unison that twins always seem to manage to do.

"Yes, same to you," Kara said politely with a smile, completely over her previous spat.

"Say Kara-," the one that had been called Hikaru started. "-You doing anything after school?" the other ended for his brother.

"Well, considering I just flew almost twelve hours to get here, I was thinking of going home for a nap."

The Twins gained a twinkle in their eyes. "Oh, you shouldn't do that."

"It'll mess up your sleep schedule if you do," the two of them purred.

"Well then, what would you advise I do then?" Kara asked jokingly, almost sure whatever they had to say would be complete nonsense.

Then, a voice she wasn't expecting spoke up, "You could always accompany me to the Host Club," Kyoya said with a smirk.

"The… Host Club?" Kara asked, blatantly confused. She had never heard of such a thing back in Texas. _'This has got to be interesting.'_

Hikaru spoke up, "Yes, it's where we lovely guys entertain beautiful maidens with too much time on their hands." "And even though it's only been in existence for a short while, it has grown to become one of the most popular clubs at our lovely school," Kaoru added.

"Um, well if I'm not too tired after the school day then I'll think about it."

"_Splendid!"_ they said together once more before retreating back to their class labeled '1A.'

'_This school is so weird already and it's only day one,' _Kara thought with a mental groan.

Now Kyoya and Kara were left alone in the lavish halls once more. "So Ootori-san, tell me more about this Host Club if you will. The Twins' explanation was a little… vague."

"Well, it's basically what the two said. We, the Hosts that is, take clients which we kindly refer to as 'guests' and entertain them, for a fee of course. Nothing can be done without profit," he smirked, almost evilly; a glare shining across his spectacles. "If you visit today though, I'll let you in for free, kind of as a trial to see if you enjoy it."

"Well, it definitely sounds interesting. I'll think about it! Well, do you do anything else here at school Ootori-san?"

"Nothing here at school, but as you probably know, my family owns several hospitals and other healing facilities, so I try to work hard at my studies."

Kyoya's bringing that up brought upon a recent memory…

* * *

><p><em>Kara sat in the lonely corridor outside her mother's office, waiting for permission to enter after being hurriedly shooed out the first time she had tried going in to find an upset and very flustered mother sitting at her desk with a sleek black cell phone pressed firmly to her ear.<em>

_Across from her in the hall was a simple maple table that sported a modest bouquet of silk flowers and three photos showcasing herself and her two siblings. The pictures were pretty much the same; happy toddlers seated in front of 'classy' mauve backgrounds and encased in simple black frames. The only difference in the photos was that a cheerful mother was seated next to her brother and sister and all that surrounded her was space. _

_Kara heard her name being called from the office; a sign to enter. Pulling herself to an upright standing position, she felt the rough surface of the wall she had been resting against catch on her shirt, a simple green polo that accented her equally as green eyes well. With slight hesitation, she slid her hand over the dappled bronze door handle and pushed the simple door open to reveal the office once more. Kara slipped in quietly and stood before her mother at the heavy looking and precisely neat desk._

"_Kara, are you looking forward to Japan?" her mother tried to begin, as if she actually felt remorse for sending her last child away for two years. "Yes mother, I actually am," lied Kara through her teeth. If this was merely a two-week vacation, it wouldn't be a big deal, but leaving sixteen years of her life behind was something else; something she considered unforgivable. _

"_Now Kara, for what I really wanted to speak to you about. There happens to be a young man who will be in your class by the name of Kyoya Ootori. He has high prospect of becoming heir, despite being the youngest son. You see, his family is a good acquaintance, and even better client of ours. Having them as good friends would be even more beneficial in the future. I'd like you to get to know him, if you catch my drift," said her mother with a forced wink. "Yes Mother, I understand." And understand she did. Kara did not approve of such behavior as getting a boy to like her for business sake, but did she really have a choice?_

"_Good," her mother purred while twisting the cap off of a pen and replacing it, "just make sure you stay far from his bad side. I'd hate for you to be the reason negotiations go… sour." Kara gulped at the thought of her new responsibility. '_Will I really be able to pull this absurd thing off?' _brooded Kara. Before she left to finish packing, she asked her mother one last thing, "Mom, will you and Father be joining me at dinner tonight?"_

_Her mother looked taken aback by the sudden question and then answered, "No Sweetie, I'm afraid not. I have a business meeting with the Anderson Group tonight and your father is joining me."_

"_Oh," was all Kara said, before dismissing herself to the hall where she proceeded to dash to her now bare room. It was the night before she would be leaving, and her parents weren't even going to eat with her. And what's worse, is there wasn't even an apology. No 'I really wish I could though,' just the pet name 'Sweetie' that was dripping in false care. '_Like that stupid bitch even gives a fuck,' _Kara thought as she huffed. '_Hell, she's probably just sending me off to get me out of her hair for a few years.'

_It was all too often that Kara used such hateful words towards her parents, at least in her inner thoughts for she dare not say them aloud, as of late. For at least a decade now, her mother had become more and more absorbed by the company, to the point of not even being what could be considered the least bit 'maternal.' It really ticked Kara off that the company had grown to such a blinding importance. _

_Three years ago, Kara and her mother were having a 'girl's weekend' as it had been reluctantly called at their vacation home in the mountains. It was really just the two of them moving off to their own recluse corners and reading. Luckily though, there was no cable, phone or internet for her mother to make a pig out of herself with due to a monstrous thunder storm that managed to knock all the power out. Said storm also caused the kitchen of the poorly placed house (at the base of a canyon) to flood which the two of them ended up having to mop up as it poured in. _

_Flood situation in hand at last, Kara, actually had tried to make an effort at bonding with her mother who sat sorely in her designated chair by suggesting that the two of them cook dinner together, for the sake of actually doing something in the same room, just to have, "I thought cleaning up the water was something together," snapped at her. _

_If the weekend hadn't been ruined already, that sure as heck had done so._

* * *

><p>"Miss Thorne? You okay?" asked a puzzled Kyoya, breaking Kara from her vacant-stared thoughts. So, this was the boy her mother wanted her to win over. He certainly wasn't <em>bad<em> looking, not that he'd ever hear that from her.

"Ah, sorry! I'm fine, perfectly fine," awkwardly fumbled Kara, trying to make up for her spacing out, but just ended up biting the inner wall of her mouth, causing her to muffle a swear. Altogether, ending up rather foolish looking, but it earned a light chuckle from the Ootori in front of her.

Thinking back to what they had been discussing before she spaced out, Kara replied, "Yes, I do in fact," she smiled, still feeling the weight of the awkward air. "If I'm feeling fine later on, I'd love to join you, Ootori-san." Kara had full intentions of doing as her mother wished, and this was the golden opportunity.

"Wonderful then," Kyoya said; his face strangely unreadable for a split second, "I look forward to it then. Just come to the third music room once class releases. I'll be leaving class early so just ask Tamaki-san to escort you there. I'm sure he'd be more than glad to help you find your way."

"No! Er, I mean, that's quite alright. I'm sure I can find it on my own," said Kara with a nervous chuckle. Not believing her, Kyoya pulled a sheet of memo paper out of a notebook and drew a simple map and then handed it to her with a smirk. "Just a precaution."

The two of them began walking once more as the tour continued.

"He's an idiot, isn't he?" began Kyoya out of the blue.

"Who, Tamaki? Oh no it's just-"

"Don't worry, I won't tattle. He may be my friend but he can be a bit much at times, actually, most of the time."

"I can see that, haha. You said he could show me, he wouldn't happen to be part of this Host Club, would he?" pondered Kara, almost fearful of the answer.

"Well, quite actually, he's the King," Kyoya said with a chuckle.

He had to keep up this façade to please his father, who wished for him to 'befriend' this girl. Honestly, he wasn't sure he could keep this up forever. But, if it got him closer to becoming heir to the family corporation, he would do almost anything, suffering or not.

"The… King?" Kara asked, surprised.

"That's right," he assured. "Don't fear though, I'm sure someone will beat him off if he jumps you."

'_That… was not the least bit reassuring.'_

"Well then, I suppose I don't have much of a choice but to go then, do I? I guess you'll see me there."

'_This host club thing couldn't have been any more terrible! It means girls are practically smothering him every chance they get. God I hope this works out,' _worriedly thought Kara.

The pair had finally looped back to where they had begun, at the door of Class 2A.

"Shall we?" Kyoya opened the door for Kara and she stepped in as he followed suit.

"Please excuse our tardiness Sensei, I was showing our new student Miss Thorne around the school under orders of the Chairman." The way Kyoya said that was almost impossible to say no to. The teacher simply bowed and waved them to the desks, which sat two people each.

Kyoya swiftly glided over to one of the black surfaced tables and sat next to Tamaki, who looked way too eager to be in class.

Without wanting to cause any more disruption, Kara quickly made her way to an empty desk in the back and put her belongings in the vacant chair next to her. She was thankful that she didn't have to stand up and introduce herself like in all the movies.

With that, class resumed with her becoming utterly lost in pre-cal.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Kara sat in class, only half awake as the teacher drabbled on about the history of some book they were to read by the end of the week. A bell signifying lunch rang out. It had to of been the best thing she'd heard all day. The class scrambled to stand up and some students stretched their constricted muscles. Kara grabbed her wallet from her bag and followed the mass to the cafeteria.<p>

The room was huge and beautiful, and certainly nothing like the lunch room at her old school that only fed financially troubled students and those who lived out of town. Everyone else had to go elsewhere to eat, whether it be home or the local Dairy Queen, the only fast food restaurant in town. Kara never had to worry about eating at the school since she always had Kiersten. The two would always go to the small park a few blocks from the school with sack lunches, weather permitting. And when it wasn't they'd make a mad dash to the parking lot so they could take Kiersten's brother's truck before he got there and went off to the Dairy Queen for a hamburger and a sundae.

This school, however, had a cafeteria with a tall ceiling and famous paintings which were no doubt originals, hung from its walls. The white stamped tin ceiling was beautiful and decorated with dainty little designs that were lost in their height way above. Kara doubted that half the students had ever even given notice to ornate surroundings.

Kara now was faced with a new problem. No, it wasn't a matter of seating, but of what to eat.

There were an infinite number of choices on the menu, all to be prepared on the student's whim with expertise and the of best ingredients. Kara had not even recognized some of the dish names that they offered.

She shuffled along in the line, deciding just to get a turkey sandwich and a bottle of water.

Kara was not prepared for what she had ordered though. Hand-sliced deli meat was piled on to perfectly triangular halved slices of whole wheat bread. Crisp lettuce lay on top further adorned with fresh tomatoes, compliments of the gardening club, bright red onions, and ironically, American cheese. Bamboo skewers held the masterpiece intact, which Kara feared to remove in case the sandwich would fall to pieces due to its size. The entire meal was served on Blue Willow china, which apparently was the tableware for Mondays. Her bottle of water was no doubt 'normal' either; imported from natural springs in the Netherlands.

Food in hand, Kara entered the main eating area and strayed to an empty table which was covered in a pink tablecloth. She began to eat the large portion in silence when she spotted a form in her peripherals to her right. There stood the boy Haruhi who she had met earlier.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked with a polite smile.

"No, not at all," Kara replied, returning his smile.

Haruhi sat his bento down on the table's surface and took a seat across from her. "So, how's school faring you?"

"It could be worse," Kara admitted, "though being in the same room all day is rather boring. In my old school, we would go to eight different classes a day- all with different teachers."

"Sound's rather hectic if you ask me. But then again, I suppose you didn't."

Haruhi was polite, and had a great smile. He was questionably feminine, but so were a lot of early high school students, so Kara thought nothing of it.

The two ate their lunch in enjoyable silence until a ruckus was caused in the middle of the cafeteria.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S NOT EATING WITH US TODAY?" screeched a voice in exasperation.

Haruhi palm-faced and slid down in his chair, mumbling something along the lines of, "Stupid Senpai can't keep his mouth shut."

Kara watched the scene in the middle of the room, as the blonde from earlier, Tamaki, who was still freaking out was being surrounded by onlookers. No doubt, it was he who made the commotion. Then Kara spotted Kyoya trying to calm down their classmate. He had a tinge of annoyance written across his face as he tried to make his friend shut up while at the same time clear the crowd.

"Look, there Haruhi is now," could faintly be heard escaping his lips as he pointed in Kara's direction. With no time to retaliate, Tamaki had sprinted up to the table and was at the ground by Haruhi's feet.

"My precious daughter, why is it you chose to abandon me today?" he sobbed.

'_Dude, what a creep. And, did he say… daughter?' _

"Senpai! Back off! If you want to sit here, you have to ask Thorne-san's permission."

Then, a pair of puppy dog eyes whipped in Kara's direction.

'_Oh no.'_

"Thorne-san, may my friends and I pwease sit here?" Tamaki asked in a desperate voice.

"Er, sure. Go right ahead." Tamaki sprang up, suddenly clear of his previous state and jumped in the seat next to Haruhi.

Kyoya sighed and retrieved his plate from the table he had been sitting at and placed it in front of the seat directly to the left of Kara. "Do you mind if I sit here?" he asked with a smile.

"No, go right ahead," Kara said with a nod.

"What! Kyoya, you didn't bring my plate?"

"No, Tamaki. If you hadn't caused a scene in the first place we wouldn't have had to move. If you want it, get it yourself."

'_How does he hang out with this guy? I've only been around him for less than a day and I'm already tempted by earplugs.'_

"Ah, here you guys are. Why aren't we all at the usual table?" asked Hikaru as he walked up with his twin.

All glares were immediately directed to Tamaki.

"Oh."

"Hey look Hikaru; it's the girl we caught Kyoya alone with!"

'_They just had to purposefully make that worse sounding than it really was,'_ thought Kara with a grimace. Her face however, lit up and she tried to hide it with her bangs. All it really did was make it look even more suspicious.

"…Kyoya?" asked Tamaki with raised eyebrows. Haruhi had an equally as surprised look on his face as well.

Kyoya did not look amused. "Perhaps I wouldn't have even been showing her around the school, _alone, _if the _Chairman's son_ had been responsible enough to escort her as his father had requested." Venom dripped off the words, and Kara felt herself leaning away from the dark aura.

"Now, if you would excuse me, I have business to attend to." Kyoya slid his chair back, stood, and left leaving his food on the table without saying anything more.

"Did we say something wrong?" the twins asked faux innocently as they sat down at the table next to Tamaki.

This was all a bit much for Kara.

"Sorry to leave as you just got here, but I'd like to go check out the libraries while I still have some time." Kara rose, bowed, and made her way out of the cafeteria.

"Hm, she's kind of weird," thought aloud one of the twins.

"Yes, but she seems like she would fit, don't you think?" said Haruhi.

"Yeah." they all agreed, "first impression, she really does."

* * *

><p>Kara hurried through the halls in search of a quiet place to sit, stand, hide- anything really. The libraries had all been crowded with noisy people who obviously did not understand the point of a library being a silent place. She was so absorbed in her thoughts of how inconsiderate people could be that she didn't notice the shadowy figure in her path.<p>

With a thud, Kara smacked into a cloaked figure, knocking them both to the ground. His hood flew off and a ray of sunlight from a nearby window shone in his face. He let out of cold-blooded scream and fled to a far corridor without retrieving his things.

'_What the hell just happened?'_ thought Kara as she stood up and dusted herself off. She turned around to grab her things when a hand had already picked them up off of the floor and held them out to her. The hand belonged to a tall, dark and spiky haired student with a stoic look on his face. Kara doubted him actually being a high school student just by his immense size and the sense of maturity that seemed to radiate off him.

"Oh, thanks," said Kara with a slight blush. The man was very good looking to say at the least.

"Hn," was all he said in reply.

Out from behind him sprang a small boy, with almost white-blonde hair. In his small hands were the items that the shadowy guy had dropped and nestled in the crook of his elbow was a pink stuffed bunny.

"Don't worry, we'll be sure to give Neko-chan his stuff back!" said the boy in a bubbly voice. "He's a third year like us so we'll see him later today."

'_Wait, THIRD YEAR? There is no freakin way...'_

"Sorry for not introducing ourselves, I'm Mitsukuni Haninozuka, but people just call me Hani-"

'_I can see why. Even if Japanese is your native tongue, that's still a mouth-full'_

"-and this is Takashi, but everybody else calls him Mori," said Hani with a cutesy twirl.

'_He's a little…too cute,'_ sourly thought Kara.

"Nice to meet you two, I'm Kara Thorne, a second year transfer student."

"WHOA! A transfer student? That's so cool!" Hani jubilantly said. "Where from, where from?" he said while jumping up and down.

"The United States," she said with a smile.

"That's really neat. Well, we've got to go. It was nice meeting you! C'mon Takashi!" he said while dragging his friend along and down the hall.

A few moments after the pair had left, the bell signifying lunch was over sounded.

'_Well, there went my quiet time.'_

Kara headed back to her class to sit out the rest of the school day.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day had seemed to fly by, thankfully, and Kara, as she had promised, made her way to the Host Club. The map Kyoya had drawn for her was not even really necessary since all she had to do was follow the clambering mob of girls chatting about which host they were going to request today to the door. Above the door was a small sign that read 'Third Music Room.'<p>

The group of girls waited outside the door until they suddenly opened. A flurry of rose petals swept through the door into the hall making the silly girls swoon, and the sweet smell of flowers wafted into Kara's nose.

'_Who on Earth is expected to clean all these petals up? I hope this isn't something they do daily. The poor cleaning staff,' _thought Kara as she pitied the worker who would be stuck with this hall.

The girls hurriedly shuffled inside the room to be greeted by seven good looking men- all of which, Kara had met at some point during the day.

'_They're all hosts too?'_

Kara wandered inside and found herself a place to stand at while not looking too out of place. She admired the expensive pottery that adorned pedestals throughout the room, and up high hung an amazing chandelier with what appeared to be a million little crystals that scattered light throughout the room.

"So you came after all," spoke a voice from behind her and she momentarily flinched.

"I said I would, did I not?" Kara flashed a smile towards Kyoya, turning on the charm for a single purpose, even though she knew it was wrong.

"Well, would you like to come have a seat?" He gestured to a lavish sofa in a corner of the music room.

Kara nodded and followed to the seating area, sitting first and was then followed by Kyoya. She rubbed her hand over the soft surface; it was a gentle red satin that was bold, but didn't scream in your face that it was there. She liked it.

"I've been thinking," started Kara, breaking the silence, "since my English name happens to mean 'emptiness' in Japanese, I was considering adopting another name while I was here, maybe something a little more Japan-friendly," said Kara.

"That sounds like a pretty cool idea. If I think of anything, I'll be sure to let you know."

The two of them chatted about simple things; favorite teas, preferred vacation spots, et cetera.

Little did they know that several feet away behind another sofa were two red headed twins, plotting.  
>"Initiate plan; Go!" whispered Hikaru.<br>The two hopped up and started playing catch with a small red rubber ball, about the size of a grapefruit. They ran around the room tossing it to and fro and while the guests found it to be 'refreshing,' Kyoya just tried his best to ignore it, as did Kara. That is until it slammed into the back of Kara's head, knocking it forward with a force. The ball fell into her lap, and she picked it up with vengeance. The rubber sphere was held in a death grip as she stood and slowly turned toward the twins- fury in her very being.

Kara let loose the ball in what she had thought was the Twin's direction, but with her being a bad shot and her anger not helping in the matter at all, the ball flew up towards the ceiling, and straight at the expensive chandelier. The ball collided with it and everything seemed to freeze. The fixture seemed to sway slowly at first and then began to creak as the light started to gain momentum, the little crystals shaking from their fastens.

The swaying slowed and it seemed like it was going to stop when it suddenly came crashing down, yanking wires down with it. Some of the girls in the room screamed and the lights flashed and sparked as part of the ceiling tore out and crumbled on the floor underneath. Crystals could be both be seen and heard shattering with an almost comical tinkling sound. The chandelier stopped just two feet from the ground suspended by wires and the dust from the broken plaster began to clear.

"Well, I think we're closed for today. We'll be sure to send gift baskets to all of you to make up for any trauma that any of you may have experienced," said Kyoya with a sense of finality.

The girls began to leave the room, some of them in tears and sobbing into the sleeves of other girls.

Kara began to creep out of the room with the pack of girls until she was stopped dead in her tracks. "_Except you,_" Kyoya seemed to hiss.

'_Well fuck a duck.'_

Kara gulped as the Ootori approached her. "I presume you have the funds to pay for this?"

"Well actually…"  
>"Yes? Spit it out."<br>"I may have been kind of, cut… off, you see." Kara twiddled her thumbs nervously.

The rest of the club looked on the scene in suspense.

"Well, since you can't pay for it yourself, it seems like you will have to pay for it with other means."

Haruhi couldn't shake the feeling of déjà vu.

"From this day forward, you will be in the service of the Host Club!"

'_This can't be happening. It's only the first day of school. Whyyyyyyyyyyy?' _thought Kara as she spiraled into a dark abyss- mentally of course.

"Hey! I've got it! You said you wanted a Japanese name, right?" said Hikaru.  
>"Well how about Harai? Harai Modosu*," finished the other twin evilly.<p>

"Aww! That's so smart you two!" cheered Hani, not helping the situation in the least.

"I must say, it is quite fitting," said Kyoya with an evil smirk. Screw what his father had said, he had a new agenda, and was doing this for himself.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, well, well guys- *killed before the a/n can even begin***

**Okay, I know I said I'd be consistent in uploading, but as soon as I got home from summer vacation, our internet completely stopped working. And this has been for like, three months. Now, I went ahead and typed everything when I said I would, and I plan on posting them as I had planned to. I may be able to neglect you guys, but I certainly can't go around spoiling people either. :P**

**Now let's all hope and hope and hope that the internet company will be able to consistently keep running from now on so this doesn't happen again. **

**On a lighter note, I'd like to wish everybody a very very very very belated happy start of school. I'm entering my junior year this year and I must admit to being swamped with work and all the other cliché excuses for not wanting to get anything done. Well, farewell for now and I hope you enjoy this really long chapter. (It's 5200+ words without the a/n, so don't complain) Aayand also a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!**

**I know, I suck for being so late. :/**

*** - Haraimodosu is Japanese for 'to repay, to pay back.' I was actually shuffling through my sister's Japanese flash cards when I came across it a while back and it spawned the idea for this entire story. **


	4. Chapter 4

**I am sosososososososo sorry for this being so late, but something tragic happened with one of my horses and just trying to proof this without crying was very hard.**

**I take no claim to anything that is not mine. Now enjoy!**

* * *

><p>After her first day of school, Kara lay awake in her plush bed unable to shut down her thoughts long enough to catch a wink of sleep.<p>

No matter what Kara tried to do, she couldn't shake the feeling of regret for how stupidly she had acted. After thinking everything over, it was somewhat decidedly lucky; Kara would now spend even more time with the boy she was supposed to woo, but the ultimate downside was that now she would be under his command until the ridiculously large debt was paid.

Really, this couldn't get much worse.

Finally, after much tossing and turning, Kara's eyelids began to droop, and she drifted off into a restless sleep.

* * *

><p>It was all she could do the night before to try and fall asleep, and still she only managed to capture a meager three hours of slumber. Waking up to the annoying wail of the alarm clock, she somewhat resembled some hideous creature; dark circles around her eyes and hair frazzled in every which way. Yet another bad start to the day in Japan.<p>

Kara stretched, not satisfied until she heard the joints in her lower back pop, and slithered out of bed. She bundled up a fresh pair of orange and pink spotted shorts and a black tank top to change into after her shower and then trudged to the bathroom just outside the bedroom.

She plugged in the mini space heater and began to let it warm up the bathroom while she went to gather more of what she needed for school. Exiting the bathroom and reentering her bedroom, Kara started to scoop up some assorted papers and pens and stuff them into her school bag. Hanging on a brass hook on the closet door was the yellow monster; still cheery and bright despite the sour mood filling up the room from its single living occupant.

Once stroke of genius she had after school yesterday was to pack some spare clothes to change into after school, the sooner she was able to get out of that hideous dress, the better. Moving to her dresser, she pulled out a pair of navy blue capri length pants and a simple grey t-shirt that read, "Tennis Warehouse;" something she had been given by her coach when it came as a freebie with a racket stringer he had bought for the team.

Kara pulled out a drawstring back pack and stuffed the extra clothes into it, along with a pair of black flats. She looped the strap of the bag on the door knob to her bedroom and hurried back into the now warmed bathroom.

She wriggled her bare toes on the fluffy bath-mat while twisting the knobs to a comfortably warm temperature as the water gushed out from the faucet. Satisfied with the water, Kara stripped down the rest of the way and stepped into the bathtub, pulling the curtain closed and starting the shower.

Once done showering, Kara stepped out, wrung out her sopping-wet blonde hair over the tub, and grabbed one of the monogrammed towels that hung on the rack to begin drying off with.

Kara dressed herself in the shorts and tank top and began working on drying her hair. The loud whirring of the purple hair dryer filled the tan-tiled room as she combed her hair in front of it to rid it of the excess water. With her hair mostly dry, Kara straightened out the awkward lumps in her bangs and decided to leave her hair down in its natural wavy state for the day.

Kara made her way back to her bedroom and turned to face the foul yellow uniform. No matter how much she despised it, she had no choice. Grumbling, she removed it from the hanger, peeled off her tank and shorts, and put on the stuffy dress. She checked the clock on her bureau and grabbed her two bags, and made way to the kitchen to grab a bite for breakfast.

Kara's opening of the refrigerator door revealed a bottle of orange juice, much to her pleasure, and a vanilla yogurt. Grabbing a spoon out of a drawer, she made her way towards the front door where she peeked out a window to find that once again, the black Ootori vehicle waiting at the curb outside.

She opened the heavy front door and stepped out into the crisp morning air. The driver took note of her presence and stepped out of the car and made his way around to the other side to open the back door for her. Kara said her thanks to the middle-aged man with graying hair and stepped into the luxurious vehicle.

The driver went back around to his side and started the car, and began to drive off towards the school for the rich.

* * *

><p>Upon arrival, the stares from surrounding people were not near as bad as yesterday, but still noticeable. <em>'I'm sure people will get used to it eventually… hopefully?'<em>

Learning from her previous mistake, she allowed the driver to come around and open her door for her this time once they reached the front of the drop-off line.

* * *

><p>Kara sat at her desk in the back of class 2A with her head hung, only catching small bits of what the teacher was lecturing about- something regarding graphing quadratic functions or other. She had her notebook open and littered on the page were small doodles of people dancing Thriller. A small fleet of zombies and other monsters of the night were swinging their arms, some of which were only partially attached, back and forth. She continued to draw on the lined paper until a frightening presence was noted behind her. Little had Kara noticed that the teacher had stopped speaking and made his way to the back of the classroom. The teacher gave an attention-demanding cough that made Kara jump in her seat and slowly turn around to face him.<p>

"You know, Miss Thorne, if you are having problems paying attention in class, I can always move you to a seat where I know I would have your undivided attention," said her sensei, with the threat still hanging off the end of the sentence.

Flushed with embarrassment, Kara nodded her head and closed her notebook.

"Also," spoke up her sensei, "I will be sending a recommendation to the art department." He finished the statement with a wink that also seemed to say, 'don't let it happen again.'

Class drew on, as did lunch, and then more class, until the time Kara was dreading most came- club hours. As soon as the final bell rang, she made her way to a bathroom with her change of clothes in tow to get out of the horrible uniform. Once the dress was neatly folded and slipped carefully into the shoulder-bag, Kara exited the restroom and made her way to the third music room, where any number of horrors could await.

As she opened the heavy wooden doors, she found the seven members of the Host Club dressed in English equestrian garb. They all wore cream-colored breeches, minus Tamaki who sported an extremely puffy pair dark tan jodhpurs, and all of them had shiny black riding boots that went almost all the way up to their knees. Each host wore a different colored polo tee, Tamaki's being a light plum, the twins' slightly different shades of green, Haruhi's a navy blue, Kyoya's a slate grey, Mori's maroon, and lastly Hani's a bubblegum pink.

"Oi Harai-senpai, what are you wearing?" asked the twin in the lighter green. "Comfy clothes?" responded Kara, somewhat confused as to what was wrong with her ensemble. "You _do_ realize we are going to be around horses today, don't you?"

"Eh? No, I was not aware in fact!" Kara really wished she hadn't been left out of the loop on this. Now she was going to have to be around nearly half-ton beasts- in a pair of flats. _'Damn them.'_ She inwardly griped.

"No worries," spoke up the spectacled host, "I figured you wouldn't have worn proper attire so I took the liberty of getting you a pair of jeans and some boots. No need to thank me," he arrogantly said with a smirk. '_No need to thank me~" _Kara inwardly mocked him. "Where then-?" Kara began to inquire, and Kyoya simply gestured to the back of the club room to a door, presumably where the change of clothes was located.

Upon opening the door to the dressing room, Kara was met with something she had not expected. Sitting on the bench were her old riding boots that she was _positive_ she had left back home since she had not planned on dealing with anything horse-related. The tan and light pink cowboy boots were scuffed beyond repair from years of wear and tear and the leather soles were worn-down completely smooth. She had been using this same pair of boots since she was in seventh grade. It was amazing that they'd lasted this long. _'How?'_

Kara shook it off, deciding to think nothing of it- which was easier said than done since the thought kept eating at the back of her mind. She took off her capris and replaced them with the pair of jeans that were left in there for her. _'How the hell did he know my size?'_ worriedly thought Kara. Again, trying to think nothing of it, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail, slightly off-center and draped over her left shoulder.

Just as she was turning to go back out, she saw one more article of clothing hanging from a hook on the door. On the hanger was a light blue and pink striped polo with a white collar. _'Oh hell no. I am not some doll they can dress up.'_ Kara just ignored the garment and proceeded to exit the room.

The club turned to see her as she reentered the main part of the clubroom. "I believe something is missing…" Spoke Kyoya. "I see no point in changing shirts when the one I have on is perfectly adequate," said Kara as she gestured to her 'Tennis Warehouse' t-shirt that she already had on.

"Well, I was going to just let the shirt's expense slide, but I'm seeing reason to add it to your debt now."

The club all turned to Kara to see what her response would be. She huffed, not wanting to deal with the situation any further, and turned back towards the dressing room to change once again. _'Jerk.'_

"Kyoya-senpai, don't you think you should have just let her wear her shirt?" questioned Haruhi, who looked displeased with her fellow-host's miser-behavior. Kyoya simply waved off her question as Kara exited the dressing room, this time wearing the polo shirt. "Happy now?" she spat.

"Very," he said with a smirk.

"Kara-chan! You look so cute like that!" Hani had his small arms wrapped around her waist as he giggled gleefully.

"Aw, thanks Hani-senpai," smiled Kara. "Ne, Takashi," began the small blonde, "don't you think Kara-chan looks cute?" "Ah," Mori replied, stoic-looking as ever.

Kara pat Hani on the head as he detached himself from her.

"Well, shall we be going?" enthusiastically said Tamaki, and with that, the group of eight walked out of the music room and down the great halls of the school and out towards the grassy event fields where two expensive looking horse-trailers were parked. Four horses were tied to each of the trailers, and each animal varying in color from a striking dapple-grey to a classic looking bay.

As they made their way closer to the trailers, Kara fell back a bit from the group, deciding to walk slower to maybe escape the excited chatter of the group's disbelief of Haruhi never riding a horse before. _'I guess he really is poor. How did either of us manage to get stuck in this mess?'_

Still, she could hear the conversation. "Haruhi! How tragic it is that you have never been so privileged as to ride one of these amazing beasts!" "Oi, Senpai, will you shut it please?"

That last remark sent the king of the Host Club into a spastic fit which ended with him sulking.

Kyoya noticed her absence from the main body of the group and fell back as well to speak with her.

"Today you will be tending for the horses; moving them where they need to be moved, making sure they have water, et cetera." Kyoya began, snapping Kara out of her mindless silence. "Isn't that the owner's job?" "Maybe, but think about the money I'm saving by having you do it."

Kara inwardly groaned. _'It really is all about the money with this guy.'_

Kara's orders from her mother really hadn't of even crossed her mind today. All she could keep thinking of was how to get out of this debt and go on with her life as a normal humble millionaire heiress- ironic sounding as that may be.

"How did you know I had any experience with horses?" Kara asked, but before Kyoya could answer, they had arrived at the site and Tamaki, now that he was over his previous fit, was excitedly jumping around enthusing about his equestrian-prowess to the few guests who had already made their way down to the special Host Club meeting place for the day. Kara just rolled her eyes when he turned his attention to her. "…And my beautiful princess," he began tilting Kara's chin up with a finger so she would face him directly, "what skill with these beautiful creatures do you possess?" "Well, considering I grew up in a ranch-like setting in a part of my state that lives, breathes, and eats rodeo, I'd have to say, well, a lot."

Tamaki deadpanned at that, not expecting such a blunt answer, but nothing could ever be as whimsical as he hoped anyway, so it shouldn't have been too big of a surprise to him. "Well then! I propose a riding competition to see whose skills are the mightiest!" "No thanks." And with that, Tamaki was in yet another state of woe, huddled into a corner of the gazebo that the group had just approached by the trailers.

Workers were setting up tables and chairs around the area for the members to host at after their riding display, and then adding little touches to the sets to make them more elegant looking. A small vase of flowers here, a riding crop there; everything was way overdone for an outdoor event to say in the least. Haruhi began to make tea and coffee and the two seniors began to pull several cakes and other sweets out of their boxes and set them on tables.

While all this preparation was going on, Kara meandered over to the horses to become acquainted, and also to begin prepping them for riding. She first went up to the dapple grey she had spotted earlier. He was a big, lean quarter-horse gelding with a yellowish mane and tail, and a fire in his eyes. He flicked his ears back in response to her walking up and she greeted him with a simple, "Hello." Kara put her palm out for him to smell and he was soon checking her pockets for any type of treats, a sure sign of a spoiled horse. "Easy now," she cooed. "I don't have any goodies for you mister." The horse flared his nostrils, and then shook his head before turning his large head back to the knot in his lead and began to pull on the end with his mouth. For obvious reasons, the knot had been safety-looped to keep intelligent horses, like this one, from untying themselves and wreaking havoc.

From the looks of the slobber on the end, he had been working on it for a while.

Kara proceeded to check out the rest of the big gelding, stroking down his neck and to his withers, scratching away pieces of caked on dirt as she went. She checked him entirely out, getting him used to her, and also making sure he didn't have any cuts or swollen joints before going to find the owner to ask if she could start tacking the horses up. Walking away from the trailer she took notice of the other horses tied to the trailer. There was a tall bay mare and next to her a short (possibly just by comparison) buckskin gelding. Tied to a loop on the back corner of the trailer next to Kara's new grey friend was a tall and muscular nearly all-white gelding, presumably for the club's resident king.

The owner was over at the gazebo talking to Kyoya, who was scribbling in a black notebook, when she approached him. He had crisp looking brown hair and donned a simple t-shirt, much like she had on earlier and a pair of black boots under his worn jeans. "Excuse me, Sir. I was wondering if you'd like me to start grooming and tacking up the horses for club activities."

"Huh?" He turned to Kyoya, who then spoke up. "I was just about to inform you that one of our members will be tending to your animals during club hours today. No worries though, she has years of expertise under her belt." "Oh really? Well then, I guess let's get you started." He pulled out a set of keys from his pockets and began to walk towards his trailers after bidding a swift farewell to the Ootori boy. Another man, much younger than the owner, appeared out from the far trailer that had two sorrel mares (chestnuts, if you prefer), a palomino gelding, and a black gelding tied to it, all of which appeared to be American warmbloods.

"Taro-san," spoke up the younger man, "where the hell is the hoof pi- Oh, hello." He took notice of Kara, who began to lightly tint pink. The younger man was American, and spoke Japanese almost as well ('well' being not-so-well) as Kara. He couldn't have been more than a year or two older than herself, and had dark blonde hair and was very tan; handsome enough to be host himself.

"Ah, Michael-san, please show this young lady where all the brushes and tack are, won't you? I need to go, er, talk to a man about a dog."

"Oh, OH!" he coughed, "Right." Michael nodded in understanding at his bosses' words and caught the keys as Taro tossed them at him. "Come along then," he gestured for Kara to follow him to the trailer with the grey tied to it.

"So, Michael," began Kara in English, anxious for a break from speaking Japanese, "What brings you to Japan?" At first he looked surprised, but that turned to a look of ease when he began back in English, "Well you see, the old coot, Taro-san, is a champion breeder. I came here from Washington to train to ride for him in the future. I'm no-where good enough for his standards yet, but one day I'll be great enough to mount up on one of his prized horses and win competition after competition. I can only dream of it now." Michael had an unmistakable twinkle in his eyes as he spoke about his passion. His determinedness was yet another feature she found attractive about the guy.

He fumbled with the key ring until he pulled out a smaller key and inserted into the lock on the back door where the tack was stored. With a twist, he unlocked it and pulled it open to reveal eight English saddles on racks that had bridles hooked on the ends. Each rack had a printed label with each horses name on it, signifying which saddle and bridle fit which horse.

"Would you like any help?" As much as she'd hate to admit it, Kara had no idea how to put on an English saddle. The only saddles she had ever dealt with were western, and she was clueless as to the proper tightness, or where on the withers the saddle was supposed to rest. She didn't even know how to get the stirrups down, or why they were even up in the first place.

"Um, if you don't mind?" Kara sheepishly said, while awkwardly scratching the back of her head. Michael simply smiled at her and grabbed up the bucket of brushes, taking one for himself and handing one to her before setting the bucket back into the trailer. They moved to the horses, Kara to the dapple, whom she learned was named Axel, and Michael to the white horse, who already couldn't seem to get any cleaner- quite the feat for a horse. The white horse's name was ironically Prince.

They finished brushing all the horses, and moved back to the tack closet to begin grabbing blankets and saddles. Kara tried to observe how Michael put the saddle on Prince, and tried to mimic until it came to the stirrups. The cinch, although different from a western saddle, surprisingly had been no problem at all, but when she moved to unhook the stirrups, she just managed to create a weird loop in the leather. "Um Michael, could I get some help please?" "Sure, just a second." He finished saddling Prince and came over to her and Axel.

"So, what is it you need?" he smiled at her. "Well, you see, I've never actually… used an English saddle before, so I have no idea how to fix this." She gestured to the stirrup which was flipped around weirdly. Michael simply chuckled and began to fix the stirrup back up into its original position. "Silly, you don't take it down until you actually go to get on the horse." "But... why?" Kara questioned. '_That makes no sense whatsoever.'_ "It's so they don't hit the horse." He playfully bumped her and she just smiled back. "So, you've never ridden English, huh?"

"Nope, just western," replied Kara. "Hm, we'll have to change that then. Today will be the day you ride English!" He punched the air, momentarily startling the nearby horses. "Oops, haha." Kara simply smiled back at him.

The pair continued to saddle the remainder of the horses just as the majority of the guests began to make their way out to the field. Kara took three of the horses' leads, leaving Axel tied to the trailer for herself, and began to walk them over to the hosts. She handed the bay mare to Mori, and the buckskin to Hani, and the four began to grow quickly acquainted to each other, Mori's nickering happily as she nuzzled against his chest.

She handed Prince to Tamaki, who excitedly began to pet the large animal. Prince tossed his head proudly, just as happy showing off for the ladies who were watching as Tamaki was; the two really were a great pair.

Kara went back to the trailer to fetch the remaining horses. The twins took the rusty-colored sorrels, Haruhi the gentle palomino with doe-eyes just like his, and lastly Kyoya the black gelding, who was named Shadow. The twins were quick to point out that the 'Shadow King' was riding a horse named Shadow. Yet another uncanny pairing.

All the hosts donned their expensive-looking helmets and walked around to the left side of their steeds as their fans watched eagerly from the sidelines. The girls could be heard swooning from all around. Some of the guests squealed at how handsome the hosts looked next to the large animals.

Haruhi just looked like he was going to puke.

The hosts all mounted up as if on some unheard cue, Haruhi with more trouble than the others, but the gentle palomino was patient. And with that, the hosts began to ride around, showing off for their guests. Haruhi just walked his horse around in large circles, happy enough looking with what he had managed to do.

Kara smiled at the scene. Mori and Hani were clearing some simple jumps with flawless form, while the twins raced around the perimeter of the field. Tamaki happily let Prince prance around in front of the girls as they squealed on about his horsemanship skills and Kyoya simply trotted up and down a line.

The weather was cool, and all in all, it was a great day for riding. Kara turned back towards the trailer where Michael and Axel waited. In Michael's hand was a helmet which he offered to Kara as she walked up. "No thanks. I've never used one before, so why start now?"

"Alrighty then, let's get you started." Michael flashed her a smile which she returned. Kara put on Axel's bridle, slipping the bit over his tongue and led him out by the reins to an open area to mount up. She gave Axel a pat on the rump and began to questionably look at the drawn-up stirrups once more. Her confusion must have been apparent on her face.

"Oh, right." Michael moved to let them down on both sides. "Thanks! Well, here goes nothing." Kara looped the reins over Axel's muscled neck and stuck her left foot up into the small silver stirrup and placed one of her hands on the pommel and the other on the fatty-part at the base of his neck to lift herself up into the seat. The stirrups were slightly too long, which Michael was quick to fix. He took her boot from the stirrup gently moved her leg forward and began to adjust the straps to the proper length, doing the same to the other side.

Michael gave Kara a pat on the leg, signaling she was good to go. She thanked him and began to walk Axel out to begin warming him up. She started by walking him around a bit, and then took him up into a trot- which was amazingly smooth for a quarter horse. She did a few wide circles, hardly having to post at all, and stopped him by leaning deep into her seat and moving her legs slightly forward and giving a stern, "Whoa." She moved the large horse into a sharp turn around on his hind right hoof to reverse her circle with just her feet and took off into a lope (or canter, if you prefer) and circled him a few times before stopping once more.

Kara was slowly becoming used to the small saddle. She really liked how close to the horse she was, but she missed the deep seat of a western saddle. She turned to give Michael, who was watching intently, a thumbs up which he returned.

Back with the hosts, there was a collective stare at the girl who looked so natural in the seat of the saddle. "Wow, she's really good!" exclaimed Hikaru, and the rest of the boys nodded in agreement.

Kara went to move out further from the group out of view and by a small grove of trees. Axel began to shy slightly from the thicket, but Kara continued to urge him forward, not letting him push her around. A slight breeze began to pick up and rustle the leaves. It picked up her ponytail and blew her bangs into her eyes. A plastic bag blew out of the trees and entangled itself into Axel's legs and the horse began to buck. Kara held on tightly as she grasped for a saddle-horn that was not there. She settled with grabbing onto a lock of mane as she cooed to the horse, trying to calm him down. The bag finally blew off in another direction, making a loud snapping sound as it did so, and Axel began to settle. Promptly shaken, Kara started to walk him back towards Michael.

Everything was fine until suddenly Axel crow-hopped and reared up, a nasty cry erupting from his throat.

All the hosts and guests turned to look at the commotion to see Kara tumbling backwards off of the grey steed while he was in mid-rear; the horse was obviously in pain judging by the noises he was making.

Everything seemed to slow down to Kara. Before she knew it, her boots had slipped from the thin stirrups and no matter how tight she held on with her legs, she could not keep herself on. As soon as she hit the ground she looked up to see Axel going up for another rear- this one more steep than the previous, and he looked like he was going to fall over backwards.

Kara knew people had died, or at the very least been seriously injured when a horse of this size had landed on them, so she rolled as quickly as she could, despite her smarting shoulder, out of the way of the horse who began to tip backwards into his rear. Just as soon as Kara had moved away, Axel came down where she had laid. The grey gelding struggled to get up as a crowd of people moved towards the scene. Michael was the first to reach them and as soon as he saw the hosts start to move towards Kara, began to work on calming the half-ton of horse-flesh down and preventing him from hurting himself any further.

Kara could feel tears streaming down her face as she curled up into a fetal-position to try and ease the immense pain she was feeling in her right shoulder. A pair of firm hands began to move her over onto her back and get her to lie still while a familiar but distant voice was shouting out instructions.

Kara could not understand a thing being said though as everything was still a blur. Noises melded together and she had her eyes clenched so tight that seeing anything was out of the question.

She kept wanting to curl back up, but those hands wouldn't let her. They kept her forced onto her back and when she finally complied, one of the hands began to stroke her hair, picking the debris from it.

Kyoya had quickly taken control of the situation; yelling at Tamaki to call for an ambulance and having the third-years round up all the horses and get them tied up. The twins ran to fetch a cold compress and a towel from the school for Kara's shoulder and Haruhi just stood there, unable to do anything other than be amazed at the serious change in mood of the club members.

Haruhi decided to try and move the crowd of girls away from the scene to get things quiet for those who were working for the pained girl on the ground and the still thrashing horse.

Michael had finally been able to get Axel to lay calmly on the ground while he and Taro, who had run up shortly after the incident, checked out the animal for any major external damage.

Once he had been cleared, they stood him up and that's when the probable cause as to why the horse had gone berserk came to light. Dark red blood and dirt stained the grey gelding's hair around his flank. A dime-sized chunk of flesh had been torn out in what looked like was the result of a fly bite- a large fly at that. The red liquid dripped down Axel's leg and the muscles around the wound kept twitching. More flies were already beginning to buzz the open sore.

Kara could vaguely hear the sirens of the ambulance as it pulled up. She felt herself being moved onto a board and strapped down, something she did _not_ like. As she was hoisted up and put into the vehicle, once phrase was prominent:

"Make sure she gets Yuuichi."

And then the doors slammed shut.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! Chapter four! :D And it's 5,000+ words, again! I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep that up, but I do enjoy writing for you guys!<br>**

**I apologize if bombarded you with horse-terminology, but I really wanted to do something club-related with horses. Also, I was totally winging it with the English tack stuff. I've actually never seen an English saddle in real life, funny no? I've been riding since I was born almost and it's only been western. **

**Now, what happened on Axel was actually something that happened to a friend of mine. The two of us and her brother were riding and her horse went nuts out of no-where and ended up throwing her, and then falling down from rearing. It was quite scary and the chunk of flesh missing was way bigger than you'd imagine. D: Luckily, her dad's a vet.**

**I'd like to give a huge thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and alerted this so early on in the story and I'd like you to know it really means a lot to me. (Actually, more specifically, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside). ;)**

**I urge you guys reading to criticize the shit out of my writing because honestly that is the only way I'll ever get better. My English teacher never gives crits on my essays and it kind of makes me sad that I'm not being told how to get better. :/**

**Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Take care, and I hope to see you again!**

****5,859** words, by the way! ;D**


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